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03-01-2016, 07:12 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Metro Detroit
Posts: 13,016
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Nearly 20,000 MA Dems leave Party
From the Boston Herald:
Nearly 20,000 Bay State Democrats have fled the party this winter, with thousands doing so to join the Republican ranks, according to the state’s top elections official.
Secretary of State William Galvin said more than 16,300 Democrats have shed their party affiliation and become independent voters since Jan. 1, while nearly 3,500 more shifted to the MassGOP ahead of tomorrow’s “Super Tuesday” presidential primary.
Galvin said the state could see as many as 700,000 voting in tomorrow’s Republican primary, a significant number given just 468,000 people are actually registered Republicans. In Massachusetts. unenrolled — otherwise known as independent — voters can cast a ballot in the primary of any party.
My reason for posting this isn't to insinuate that there's trouble strictly in Donkey-ville. The "party elites" in both the Repub and Dem parties have totally misread the electorate.
The exceptions seem to be Sanders and Trump. Sanders won't win the nomination - his party has already stacked the deck against him - but Trump certainly could. If he does, it will voters - Repubs, Dems and Independents - all of whom believe their historical party of choice no longer represents their interests.
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03-01-2016, 07:23 AM
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Reformed Know-Nothing
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MoCo, MD
Posts: 25,905
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From the article:
"The 19,800 who left the Mass Dems represent about 1.3 percent of the 1.49 million enrolled in the party. And though the MassGOP gained several thousand voters, it actually lost more in the same time frame, when 5,911 quit the party to be unenrolled."
So, it essentially means that most of a very small percentage of GOP/Dem voters who decided to bolt their respective parties chose to become Independents. I did the same thing myself 15 years ago (bailed from the GOP to become an Independent) and have never looked back. I find it liberating to not be attached at the hip to either party. Blind allegiance to party just encourages the bastards.
I think this spells far more trouble for the GOP than it does for the Dems. If a significant percentage of those who bailed from their party vote for Trump in the primary, it increases the likelihood of the GOP experiencing a nasty break-up.
__________________
As long as the roots are not severed, all will be well in the garden.
Last edited by finnbow; 03-01-2016 at 07:26 AM.
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03-01-2016, 07:36 AM
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Abby Normal
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 11,245
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Quote:
Originally Posted by finnbow
From the article:
"The 19,800 who left the Mass Dems represent about 1.3 percent of the 1.49 million enrolled in the party. And though the MassGOP gained several thousand voters, it actually lost more in the same time frame, when 5,911 quit the party to be unenrolled."
So, it essentially means that most of a very small percentage of GOP/Dem voters who decided to bolt their respective parties chose to become Independents. I did the same thing myself 15 years ago (bailed from the GOP to become an Independent) and have never looked back. I find it liberating to not be attached at the hip to either party. Blind allegiance to party just encourages the bastards.
I think this spells far more trouble for the GOP than it does for the Dems. If a significant percentage of those who bailed from their party vote for Trump in the primary, it increases the likelihood of the GOP experiencing a nasty break-up.
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But aren't you left out as an independent?
I went from GOP to Democrat in 99, the day after Bush got the nomination just so I'd have a say in what the DEm's do.
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03-01-2016, 07:43 AM
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Ready
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 19,158
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Quote:
Originally Posted by noonereal
But aren't you left out as an independent?
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No you become a member of the 'swing voters,' coveted by both parties as the votes they need, but can't count on. 'Swing voters decide elections.' Sometimes.
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If you Love Liberty, you must Hate Trump!
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03-01-2016, 07:49 AM
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Persona non grata
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 12,654
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donquixote99
No you become a member of the 'swing voters,' coveted by both parties as the votes they need, but can't count on. 'Swing voters decide elections.' Sometimes.
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A lot of this has to do with whether or not the state is an open or closed primary state.
For example, Florida is a closed primary state. You have to register as a Republican or a Democrat, or you are excluded from the primary process. Only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican Primary, and only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic Primary. If you register Independent, or anything else, you are disenfranchised.
If Florida were to change to an open primary state like New Hampshire is, I think you would see a lot of people exit both parties.
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"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Last edited by Tom Joad; 03-01-2016 at 07:52 AM.
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03-01-2016, 09:31 AM
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Reformed Know-Nothing
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MoCo, MD
Posts: 25,905
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donquixote99
No you become a member of the 'swing voters,' coveted by both parties as the votes they need, but can't count on. 'Swing voters decide elections.' Sometimes.
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As a raging moderate and a pragmatist, that's the primary reason I'm an Independent. Generally, I'll support a center-left or center-right before I'll support anybody on either fringe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Joad
A lot of this has to do with whether or not the state is an open or closed primary state.
For example, Florida is a closed primary state. You have to register as a Republican or a Democrat, or you are excluded from the primary process. Only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican Primary, and only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic Primary. If you register Independent, or anything else, you are disenfranchised.
If Florida were to change to an open primary state like New Hampshire is, I think you would see a lot of people exit both parties.
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Maryland is so deep blue and its primary so late (April 26) that its primary doesn't make much difference. Accordingly, I've never bothered voting in a primary election as I have better things to do.
__________________
As long as the roots are not severed, all will be well in the garden.
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03-01-2016, 09:36 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Derby City U.S.A.
Posts: 8,208
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I'm gonna vote for Trump in the Primary but Democrat when it matters the most!
Barney
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03-01-2016, 09:40 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,554
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Joad
A lot of this has to do with whether or not the state is an open or closed primary state.
For example, Florida is a closed primary state. You have to register as a Republican or a Democrat, or you are excluded from the primary process. Only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican Primary, and only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic Primary. If you register Independent, or anything else, you are disenfranchised.
If Florida were to change to an open primary state like New Hampshire is, I think you would see a lot of people exit both parties.
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This is what happens when "parties" run the country instead of the people/
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03-01-2016, 09:41 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,554
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Joad
A lot of this has to do with whether or not the state is an open or closed primary state.
For example, Florida is a closed primary state. You have to register as a Republican or a Democrat, or you are excluded from the primary process. Only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican Primary, and only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic Primary. If you register Independent, or anything else, you are disenfranchised.
If Florida were to change to an open primary state like New Hampshire is, I think you would see a lot of people exit both parties.
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This is what happens when "parties" run the country instead of the people.
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03-01-2016, 09:56 AM
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Rational Anarchist
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: DFW
Posts: 7,315
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The people aren't capable of running the country.
__________________
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
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